Dazed
by Mintley8
Summary: Following on from Angel. This time from Josh's POV. Third in the Personal Aftermath series


**Title** Dazed.

- **Category** Romance. (Again!)

- **Rating** G

- **West Wing** = Not mine...

- **Short summary** Following on from Angel. This time from Josh's POV.

- **Author's name** Mintley

"Donna!"

"Yes?"

"I need the… You ok?"

"Yeah. Gun statistics?"

"Yeah."

"Ok."

I know Donna slept here last night. I should've drove her home but she wanted to stay here and finish work. What I don't know is why she's acting so weird. Ok, I pride myself on my ability with the fairer sex but this is unique. It's almost as if she's been shook to the core. But why and who by? "Donna?"

"Uhmm?"

"Are you sure you're ok? I mean you look dazed. Do you need time off for something?"

She looks at me strangely. "No, Josh. Why would I need time off? Do I really look dazed?"

"Yeah. Seriously."

I'm back in my office and about to shut the door, to do some serious Simming. (I can't get Mick and Clare together for love or the money!) When I hear:

"You ok? You look dazed."

"Yes. I'm fine. Do you want Josh?"

"No. I thought I'd check up on you."

That voice. If it weren't for the softness, I'd seriously have said that was Toby.

"No. I'm ok."

"Why were you in my office?"

"Comfy sofa. I hope you didn't mind?"

"Mind? You are welcome to kip on it anytime Donna."

"Thank you. Don't you have a speech to tweak?" Donna. Teasing Toby!?

"Yeah. I thought I'd check up on you before I tweaked it."

"Thank you again."

"Anytime. Bye."

"Bye."

I look out of my door to see the retreating back of someone who has a vague resemblance to Toby Ziegler. Then he turned and looked at Donna. My jaw must have dropped to the floor. His face, so usually unreadable and detached, was open. For a moment, no more, no less. I saw Toby Ziegler, the human. I don't think he even realized I was watching him. His eyes showed a deep, almost love-like, softness and his face had a small smile full of wishful thinking. He cleared his throat and left. Donna never saw any of this. She was too busy getting me the reports. "Donna. I'm just going to see CJ. Ok?"

"Sure. Don't forget Senator's Crossland and Archer in 40 minutes."

"Ok."

I walk over to her office, knock and walk in to see her long legs rested on the desk just like Leo does. "CJ? Have you got ten minutes spare?"

"Hey Josh. Sure. What's on your mind?"

I sit on her sofa. "Have you ever seen Toby let his guard down?"

"In what context?"

"Any?"

"Yeah. If some-ones hurt or in pain. Why?"

"Not like that. I mean. Love?"

"How do you mean love?"

"Have you ever seen him let his guard down?"

"In love?"

"Catching on. Yeah."

CJ thought about this one. "No."

"Not even with Andi?"

"No. Why?"

"I have."

She looked at me puzzled. "Toby fancies you!?"

"No. Donna."

"Donna." She wasn't stunned?

"Yeah. Donna."

"What happened?"

"She walked in my office flushed and…"

"She slept in Toby's office."

"Did she?"

"Yeah. She even got changed in there."

"With Toby?"

"No. He left."

"Oh. Well. He came to check up on her."

"Check up on her? That's not Toby."

"I didn't even guess it was Toby until he left and walked away. I walked out of my office as he turned…"

"How didn't you guess? It's Toby!"

"His voice was soft. Gentle. I was about to shut my door…"

"You really need to stop going on 'The Sims'! They eat up your hard drive."

"CJ!"

"Ok. Go on."

"When I heard them. Anyway. I opened the door to see some-one like Toby leave. Then he turned. I was expecting cold, detached."

"What did you see?"

"Toby head over heels in love with Donna."

"Josh! You can't say that!"

"I can. His eyes were soft! CJ. He was smiling!"

She nearly fell off her chair. "He smiled?" She sputtered.

"Yeah. The wishful thinking smile."

"Ok. Maybe. But I need to see this for myself."

"See what for yourself?"

Toby was at the doorframe. "The fancy dress party." CJ easily slipped in. I'm thinking she's a damn good politician. Which is a scary thought.

"What fancy dress party?"

"The one that happens every three months. This quarter's theme is…"

"Please not food!"

"No. Occupations."

"Oh. So if I came in a suit and said I was POTUS, could I get away with it?"

"No Toby. But the President is thinking of getting Yo-Yo Ma here."

I looked at her. "Donna's Yo-Yo Ma?"

Her voice was soft. "Yes Josh. Donna's Yo-Yo Ma."

Toby cleared his throat and left. Wordlessly. I looked straight at CJ. She'd seen it! Her face was a picture. It was one of total and utter stunned. "Wow. He's really fallen hasn't he?"

"You noticed?"

"I've never seen him like this. Not even with Andi. Do you mind?"

"If he hurt her in any way? Yeah. I'll destroy him. But if he doesn't? No. I'm fine."

"But…"

"I'll admit I do love Donna. But like a brother would a sister. No more, no less." This is true.

"Oh. Ok. So how do we get the two together?"

"CJ!?"

"You may not be aware of this but Toby's very shy…"

I snorted. "We are on about Toby Zachary Ziegler."

"Yes Josh. I do know. So, if he's not shy. How come Donna doesn't know about it?"

She floored me. "I never thought of that."

"You never do."

"Wait. How do you know Donna doesn't know?"

"Because we talk."

"When?"

"Every Friday lunchtime, Me, Donna, Bonnie, Ginger and Margaret go to the mess and act like the friends that we are."

"You gossip?"

"We do. And rather well as it happens."

"How do you know she stayed in Toby's office last night?"

"I saw her go in. And Ginger told me this morning he'd closed the blinds, shut the door and told them if anyone came, he was going out for five. Then came back with two cups of coffee. Cleared his throat and knocked on the door. She opened it and he went in. She opened the door later with a suit bag and the coffee in her arms, he asked if she needed any help, she said no. Then kissed him on the cheek and left. Ginger said he went has red as a beet."

"She kissed him on the cheek?"

"Probably because of how chivalrous he was being. Most girls like a man who's courteous."

"And the reason why she was flushed"

"Embarrassment. Think about it. You've just kissed the detached doubting Thomas of the West Wing."

"Ugh!"

"Josh!"

"Ok. So. She's probably thinking she's got to apologise for it?"

"Yeah. The problem is…"

"Toby didn't mind. So that's probably got her in more of a tizzy."

"Tizzy?"

"State? Confusion?"

"Oh. Nice word."

I thought back to earlier. "Toby said 'tweaking.'"

"Tweaking?"

"Yeah. He said to quote, 'I thought I'd check up on you before I tweaked it.' I imagine his speech?"

"Yeah."

We were quiet for a moment. Then. "We need to fix them up!"

"CJ! How would you feel if they hooked you up with, say Leo?"

I should have said me. Her face and voice was neutral but her eyes sparkled. "No thank you. But this is different. Toby likes her."

"Have you wondered if Donna actually likes him too?"

"No problem."

"Why am I getting the feeling that this is such a bad idea?"

"You worry too much."

So CJ gave me the details of this 'plan.' "If this backfires, we are dead meat."

"How can it backfire?"

I left CJ's office with a very queasy sense of foreboding. I can't do this. I walk into my office, sit at my desk and remember my lines. Then.. "Donna?"

"What?"

"A word please."

She walked in. She still looked dazed. I cleared my throat. "Did you go home last night?"

"No. I slept in Toby's office." She sat down.

"Why not here?"

"Comfy sofa."

"Oh. Who woke you up?"

She blushed. "Toby."

"Ok. Just checking. Are you going home tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Ok."

She gets up, looks out of the door and says Crossland and Archer are here. After the meeting I walk out to see Ginger fetching a bunch of peach roses "I'll take them Ginger."

She passed them and winked at me. I inhaled their sweet scent and counted them. A dozen. CJ's really pushed the boat out with this one. I look at the card and say as normal as possible. "Donna! These just came for you."

She looks at me weird. Then, slowly reaches in and gets the card out. "What's it say and who's it from?"

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"Mind your own business."

Then she walks out of the bullpen. Five minutes later she walks back with a vase. As she's about to put the roses in the water Toby walks over and sniffs them. "Very nice. Do you like them?"

"Yes thank you."

"They work well with you."

Donna looks puzzled at this. "How as?"

"They match your skin tone."

I'm starting to get the strong feeling CJ didn't send them her. "Thank you. You know Toby, you can be really adorable when you put your mind to it."

I see him blush and look up. "Thank you. I have to go. Leo and the President want to run through the speech with me."

"You finished it?"

"Yes. Bye Donna."

"Bye."

He leaves and Donna smells the roses as I walk over. "I gather they are from him?"

"Josh! Stay out of my business!"

"Well I think it's sweet. Why don't you ask him if he wants to go to the quarter ball with you?"

"Josh!"

"I'm being serious."

Her voice is timid. "Would you mind?"

"Donna, I love you like a brother loves a sister. Part of that love means I have to pick suitable men-folk for you and I think Toby is a good man. But if he hurts you a tiny bit, I'll kill him, ruin his career and kill him again with my bare hands for you. Ok?"

"You'll kill him twice?"

"Yeah. Just to make sure."

"Oh."

I walk over to my office, -I hear the Sims calling,- but just before I close the door I turn to look at her. I hope she asks him. Because, if not, I will. Toby needs to see her feelings for him. Now that I can help with. After all I'm an expert in these things…..


End file.
